Edmund Investigates: The Disappearance
by Rorimac Underhill
Summary: Sequel to Edmund Investigates: The Murder on the Tisiphone. Another mystery for Edmund, set in the Lone Islands! Don't want to give away the plot in the summary, so please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Hello everybody! I've got the sequel for _Edmund Investigates: The Murder on the Tisiphone_ right here! Only this one's entitled _Edmund Investigates: The Disappearance_. I'm a bit more organized and prepared for this mystery than the last one. Anyway, I've worked very hard so please read on for the case to begin!

**Chapter One**

The Manor was the loneliest place in the world. Or so Andernil Bridger thought as she pushed back her thin blonde hair and looked at the bleak gray sky outside her window. The Manor was located on a tiny island just off the Lone Islands and was covered in green hills and bare plains. There was only one clump of trees on the island which Andrenil's great, great, great grandfather (who claimed the island for the Bridger family) called a forest but really it was too small to be called even a wood. A ship came only once a month to deliver supplies, but other than that they had no other contact to the outside world. The last ship that had come delivered a request from the Governor, asking if the King Edmund and Queen Lucy of Narnia may stay at The Manor as a vacation after a week of treaty discussions and councils. The request was answered and Andernil had so many things to do in the last week that she had hardly any time for herself. And so, looking at the lonely plains, Andernil felt happiness plummet in her broken heart.

Like her heart, The Manor was also falling in disrepair. The Manor was left in the charge of Andernil's older brother, Saphad, after Andernil's father began to get older and dependent on his children, but Saphad was very carefree and spent most of the family treasure and let the manor slide. Most of the burden of taking care of the place was left on Andernil, sometimes with the help of Andernil's elderly uncle, Pennwath but he was now getting very old, very strict, and stuck in his ways. Saphad had been married once, but oh, Andernil didn't want to remember what had happened to his wife! It was dreadful.

_BANG!_ Andernil turned around quickly to see her nine year old nephew (Saphad's son) throw open the door.

"No one wants to play with me," he pouted, crossed his arms, and sank down on the nearest couch.

"Oh, Freddy, don't bother me now," Andernil said, "Go and ask Cook if she'll make cookies with you."

"Already asked her. She's busy getting ready for dinner," said Freddy.

"Go play with the dog."

"I don't want to."

"Ask your father if he'll play with you," Andernil suggested.

"I want _you_ to play with me!"

Andernil groaned, "Please go, Freddy!"

Freddy stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Andernil rolled her eyes as he left and went back to looking outside the window.

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Edmund stood aboard a deck of a ship. They had left the port of Narrowhaven, the capital of the Lone Islands, only half an hour ago and the captain said that they should be arriving to Bridger Island very soon. Edmund and his sister Lucy had been discussing treaties with the Governor and as a reward for enduring long meetings and rather boring debates, the Governor had set up a vacation getaway for them to a nearby island just off the coast of Doorn. Edmund hoped they would get there soon for he was very tired from a late night. He had stayed up writing a long letter to his brother the High King Peter and his sister Queen Susan to tell of what had been decided with tribute and political affairs and also to quiet Susan fears, who in her last letter expressed worries of how Lucy was doing. As Edmund rubbed his eyes land thankfully came into view on the horizon.

"A very small island isn't it?" remarked Lucy as she stood by Edmund and the island came closer into view.

"I suppose so," Edmund replied, "We ought to have a good time though, after all we haven't had a real vacation in ages."

"Yes, that's true. The last one we had was the holiday before the war in England. Remember when we went to the seashore and the carnival? That was very fun."

"I was a prat then," said Edmund.

"You weren't _that_ bad," Lucy protested.

"Yes I was Lu," Edmund said, "You remember everything I said about you, Peter, and Susan. I hated you all and showed it in more than just words. I was terrible."

"Well, you aren't as bad now so you can really enjoy this vacation," said Lucy, clasping his hand.

"I think I will," said Edmund and grinned as the island came closer into view.

They arrived to the dock fifteen minutes later and Edmund shakily got off the boat. It would take a while for him to get used to walking on land after the rocking of the boat but as he had been on many voyages before, it should be fairly easy to regain his land-legs. A lady with blonde hair, an old and a young man, and a small boy met Lucy and Edmund as they climbed off the ship. They didn't look very pleasant, Edmund thought, in fact they didn't look as if they had smiled for a long time.

"Good afternoon, your majesties," said the young man, "My name is Saphad. I trust your journey was well?"

"Yes, It was, thank you," Lucy responded politely.

Saphad continued, "This is my sister Lady Andernil," the lady with the blonde hair curtsied, but Edmund noticed that she looked strained and had dark circles under her eyes, "my uncle Sir Pennwath," Saphad continued as the older man bowed stiffly with an ugly frown on his face, "And my son Freddy." The young boy hesitated but with a nudge from Andernil, also bowed.

"We are pleased to meet you," Edmund bowed back and shook hands with everyone. He could tell that their was tension between the family just by seeing at the way they looked and acted toward each other.

"Come, the mansion is just this way," Saphad motioned. Edmund and Lucy followed, not knowing what events would soon play out during their visit.

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Sorry that this story took a long time to put out, but you see I haven't really had the time. I'm out four or five nights a week and juggling honors classes in school, so I haven't been able to be on the computer that much. Plus, I'm the biggest band geek you'll ever find so that also had something to do with it. The only questions I have for you is:

A. Is this a good start for this story?

B. If not, what advice can you give me to make it better?

C. Do you have any other thoughts on the chapter?

Please review and tell me! The writer isn't the only one making the story. She needs the help of the readers to shape it. ;-)


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everybody! Sorry this chapter took a long time to put out. Band geeks rule!!!

Thanks to _Swanwhite2_, _TimeMage0955_, _Theophila_, _imakeladrygirl, _and_ ChabeMica_ for reviewing last chapter!

**Chapter 2**

Edmund felt very uncomfortable. Sitting in a plush carriage wasn't bad, but there was tension in every corner of the carriage coming from Edmund's hosts. It was a very silent ride from the boat to the Manor, but probably the loudest silence Edmund had ever heard. There were definitely some problems, grudges, and quarrels within the Bridger family. He glanced at his hosts.

The young lady, Andernil, looked exhausted. She would have been pretty if she didn't have those bags, wispy light hair, or pale white skin. She must have a lot of burdens put on her that sapped her of every color or glow that she had. She looked as if a breath of wind would blow her away. Edmund wondered what would make her happy again.

The older man, Pennwath, looked as if he had a keen memory of arguments and past grudges. Sitting with a stiff collar and an iron gray mustache, he looked terribly legalistic and prudent. Edmund could bet he was a scholar and spent a lot of his days in a library reading thin, dry pages of long-forgotten philosophers and historians.

Edmund looked at the little boy Freddy and gave him a grin. He was probably the most friendly member of the family but Edmund coud spot loneliness from behind his big brown eyes. Edmund could guess that he was the only child on the island.

The young man Saphad looked as if he was very irresponsible. Edmund could tell by his mismatched tunic, untied boot and messy hair, that he didn't keep himself too clean either. Probably a nice man in all other respects.

"Well, King Edmund, what were you planning on doing while you were here?" asked Saphad who spotted Edmund looking at him.

"Oh, erm..." stuttered Edmund. He had no idea what to say. Luckily for him, Andernil broke in and said,

"I thought that we might go to the seaside tomorrow and maybe have a picnic."

"Andernil!" Saphad groaned, "They're not children!"

"I was only suggesting!" Andernil flushed, "You needn't get so worked up about it!"

"I'm not getting worked up! _You're_ the one who---"

"I think it's a lovely idea," Lucy said, trying to make peace and bringing an end to the argument.

A few minutes past slowly before the Manor came into view. Edmund gasped. It was a huge, gray fortress with a spiky, black fence running across it. There were a lot of towers and bulwarks and it looked as if it were built for war. It looked to Edmund that it would defend from an outside attack, but it obviously couldn't prevent the battles between the family inside of it.

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Edmund untangled himself from the bedclothes in his room. Lucy had insisted that he take a nap and Edmund was glad that he followed her advice. He felt wonderfully refreshed, not to mention a bit more energized. He spotted a pitcher of water and a glass on a table and eagerly reached for a drink, but before he could put the cup to his lips, something wet and slimy jumped from the brim to Edmund's face. He yelled and sputtered and realized that it was a frog. Just as he threw the frog out the window he heard giggling.

"Lucy, if that's you, I'll write to Susan!" Edmund threatened, "You really have grown out of childish games like this! Come on out from wherever you are!"

But the giggling continued and Saphad's son Freddy opened the bedroom door, laughing hysterically. "You should have seen your face!" he gasped through tears of laughter.

Edmund couldn't help it; his stern face cracked a grin and he laughed with the boy.

"Do you always do that to people?" Edmund asked.

"Yep," said Freddy, "I did it to Uncle Pennwath once!. He wasn't too happy. His false mustache fell out when my frog jumped at him and so I took it and ran. He chased me around the manor with his cane until I gave it back to him."

Edmund smiled, "Are there any other children on the island?"

"No," Freddy sighed.

Suddenly there came a voice from downstairs, "Dinfred Adel Bridger!!! You come down here this minute!"

"Oops, that's me," said Freddy and he raced out of the room.

Edmund laughed, made his bed, and went down to see what all the commotion was about.

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Well, what did you think? Please review to tell me! I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I can!


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